Page 108 of And I Love Her

Callie’s heart raced. She wasn’t a spur-of-the moment woman. She didn’t jump into things with both feet. She didn’t elope with the man she loved.

Or maybe she did.

With a laugh, she took Jake’s face in her hands and kissed him. “I don’t want to wait. Let’s elope and get mar…oh, wait. My mother and sisters would be upset if I didn’t tell them.”

“So we’ll fly them out to wherever we are for a surprise wedding.” He ran his hand down her side to her hip. “No one else will know.”

“We will.”

His smile creased his eyes. “Is that a yes?”

“It’s anoh yes, please.”

Jake chuckled and rolled them both over so he was on top of her, his weight pressing her deliciously into the bed. He kissed her. “I love you, Professor.”

“I love you, Heartthrob.”

Desire sparked, hot and swift. As they fell again into the blissful pleasure of each other, Callie’s entire soul filled with gratitude and love.

There was so much to be dazzled by in the universe—epic stories of heroes and monsters, rose quartz, the overwhelming power of good, fried deep-dish pizza, new beginnings, and One True Loves. You only had to open your eyes and look up to see all the comets spiraling across the sky.

* * *

Thank you for reading AND I LOVE HER.

Click here to continue your Bliss Cove journey in LOVE ME TENDER!

Release date: 12/5/19

Rory Prescott and tavern owner Grant Taylor make a deal — she’ll be his date to a family wedding if he’ll let her stay short-term in his cottage. But what happens when this fake relationship becomes passionately real?

Continue reading for an excerpt!

LOVE ME TENDER

CHAPTER ONE

Can’t wait to have you on board, hot stuff!

The email message was followed by a winking smiley-face emoticon with its red tongue hanging out.

Rory Prescott wanted to punch through her 27-inch, ultra-high-def 5K computer screen, pinch the little winkey-face between her fingers, and squish it to death.

Instead she typed “never call me that again,” resisted the urge to add“asshole,”and hit the send button.

She pushed away from her desk and shoved her feet into her ratty old boots. Grabbing her jacket, she strode out of her one-room apartment and into the fall evening. The crisp, salty ocean air, as familiar as the smell of home-baked cookies, washed over her. A gray layer of marine fog covered the sky.

Tugging her long black hair from the collar of her jacket, she walked swiftly toward Starfish Avenue. With the start of fall, the tourists had all departed from the coastal northern California town of Bliss Cove, while students of the private Skyline College had returned for the new school year. Now that October was approaching, the town had settled into its usual autumn rhythm of cooler days, busy students, and preparations for the upcoming Harvest Festival.

She turned off Starfish Avenue and walked to a cluster of wood-and-stone buildings located near a redwood grove that spread out into the surrounding forest. White lights twinkled over the ivy-covered main building, which bore a crooked sign reading Mousehole Tavern.

Inside, people clustered around the red-and-white checkered tables, laughing and chatting. “Stairway to Heaven” drifted from an old jukebox, and a fire crackled in the stone hearth dominating one wall.

Pulling off her jacket, Rory tossed it on to a coat rack. Her boots clomped on the worn wooden floor as she made her way across the room. She scanned the crowd before her gaze landed on Grant Taylor, the owner of the Mousehole, who was mixing a drink behind the bar.

The tension in her shoulders eased a bit. Though Grant’s back was to her, the sight of his big, solid frame was a welcome reminder that some things in life, and some people, were constant.

“Scotch, straight up.” She slapped her hand on the bar top.

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